I expand contemporary concepts of drawing & painting by uniquely combining figurative works on paper with textile backgrounds. These backgrounds are exclusively composed of repurposed textiles and damaged secondhand clothing, much of which I source from my own closet. This process serves to explore my own complicated relationship with fashion: after having studied fashion at Pratt, I remain seduced by it as an art form in its own right and as a vehicle for self-expression. Nevertheless, next to Big Oil, the clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world. I’m interested in the malaise that comes from the growing knowledge of the fashion industry’s nefarious ecological impact. Through my work, I explore this tension between the modern experience of beauty, consumption, and industrialization—and the long-term environmental impact of the clothing we wear.
